at 7:30 p.m. Programme Notes Now Available
Christopher Hall – clarinet
Quatuor Andara
Photos (top to bottom) Christopher Hall (photo by Maxime Tremblay) and Quatuor Andara
Christopher Hall is well known for delighting audiences with his special combination of beautiful music and hilarity. Let him and this irresistible group of musicians fill your ears and heart with joie de vivre! Between each work on the programme, Hall turns into a stand-up comic and pokes good fun at the musicians, the music, and especially at all the familiar but sometimes stuffy rituals that can come with classical music performances. In so doing, he reminds us that this music is made for everyone, no PhD required. On the programme: works by Mozart, Brahms, and Weber.
Programme Notes
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS
Christopher Hall
Christopher Hall is the former principal clarinet of the Orchestre Métropolitain in Montréal (under Yannick Nézet-Seguin) who found work in the orchestra far too serious! So now, instead of joking around while sitting in the orchestra, he performs as a stand-up comedian, and does various television and radio shows in both English and French.
In the past seven years, he has performed his acclaimed concert ‘Comic Orchestra’ in Canada alongside some of the best symphony orchestras in the country. He also performed it with a chamber orchestra in July 2014 at the Montréal Just for Laughs festival in front of a crowd of 3000, to rave reviews.
He has appeared in such prestigious comedy festivals as Just for Laughs, the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, and the Grand Rire in Québec City.
In 2010, he had the honour of hosting Whoopi Goldberg’s show in Québec City as well as performing opening acts for several prestigious North American comedians.
Mr. Hall has toured with his comic quartet in Quebec, Alberta and BC.
Christopher Hall is fluent in English, French, German, and Italian. But whatever you do, DO NOT take this man seriously!
Quatuor Andara
Marie-Claire Vaillancourt, violin I Jeanne Côté, violin II
Vincent Delorme, viola Dominique Beauséjour-Ostiguy, cello
Junior string quartet in residence at the Université de Montréal, Quatuor Andara distinguishes itself by its vitality and its quality of execution. It was in September 2014, around Ravel’s Quartet in F major, that its members met for the first time at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, under the tutelage of Denis Brott. Since then, their bond and musical passion has transported them to multiple stages across Quebec. They have also participated in numerous high level international festivals and seminars which allowed them to work with musicians such as Günter Pichler, Mathieu Herzog and the Talich String Quartet at the 2018 edition of MISQA, the St. Lawrence String Quartet in Stanford (CA) during the summers of 2017 and 2018, Johannes Meissl and the Shanghai Quartet at the Pablo Casals Festival in France in 2017, as well as Barry Shiffman and Mark Steinberg at the Banff Chamber Music Residency in 2016.
First prize winners at the Pierre-de-Saurel Classical Music Competition in 2015, and at the Sherbrooke Competitions of 2017 and 2019, they also participated in the first edition of the Strijkkwartet Biennale Amsterdam in 2018, performing for members of the Emerson Quartet, Cuarteto Quiroga, Signum Quartet, and the Quatuor Danel, amongst others.
Quatuor Andara was the ensemble-in-residence for the Concert in the 21st century program at the Banff Centre last February, as well as for the Ottawa Chamberfest Career Development Residency in August 2019.
Marie-Claire Vaillancourt plays a Cremona Andrea Guarneri violin (1660) and a Hill & Sons bow, and Dominique Beauséjour-Ostiguy plays on a David Tecchler cello (1704) and a Pierre Simon bow (c. 1855), courtesy of Canimex Inc. situated in Drummondville, QC.
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Cheng2 Duo Programme Available Online
We will be selling the following titles on behalf of Cheng2 Duo this Saturday:
Violonchelo del fuego ($20.00)
Russian Legends (2-CD set $35.00)
Cash only please.
The artists will be available to autograph your copy following the performance.
photo by Harald Hoffmann
We welcome the phenomenal brother-and-sister duo of Bryan (cello) and Silvie (piano) Cheng who are back to take us on a fascinating and romantic musical journey with works by Beethoven, Britten, Brahms, and Hindemith. Since their debut at Carnegie Hall in 2011, Cheng2 Duo has received continuous praise from audiences and critics for their artistic excellence, generous spirit, and irresistible energy. This duo’s refreshing approach to making classical music accessible to new audiences of all backgrounds strikes a rare balance between infectious joy and enthusiasm, combined with experience and insightful, historically informed interpretations.
About Cheng2 Duo
Captivating audiences and critics alike, the “brilliant” (The Times, UK) and “truly exhilarating” (The WholeNote, Canada) Cheng² Duo (pronounced Cheng Squared Duo) distinguishes itself with its uncompromising musical integrity, undeniable chemistry, and unparalleled communication with its listeners. The Chinese-Canadian brother-and-sister duo is formed by cellist Bryan Cheng – First Prize winner of the 2022 UNISA International Music Competition, and playing the Canada Council for the Arts’ prized ca. 1696 ‘Bonjour’ Stradivari – and pianist Silvie Cheng, recipient of the Roy M. Rubinstein Award for exceptional promise inpiano performance.
Named one of CBC Music’s “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30”, the dynamic Cheng² Duo tours extensively to present engaging recitals in illustrious concert halls and international festivals throughout North America (Canada and USA), Europe (Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Switzerland, the UK), and Asia (China and South Korea). Past performances and interviews have been broadcast on CBC Radio, ICI Musique, Radio-Canada International, Vermont Public Radio, WCRB Classical Music Boston, WCNY Classic FM, Kulturradio RBB and Südwestrundfunk (SWR2) Germany, ORF Austria, and Classical Radio Orpheus (Moscow).
Cheng² Duo has released a trilogy of critically-acclaimed albums on the German label audite: Russian Legends (2019), Violonchelo del fuego (2018), and Violoncelle français (2016), which was selected as one of WCRB Classical Radio Boston’s top CDs of 2017. The duo’s recordings have been lauded by the press in a dozen countries worldwide for their “phenomenal virtuosity”, “maturity and perfection”, “extremely imaginative and personal interpretation”, “taste, sure flair for phrasing, and tonal beauty”.
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Programme Now Available Online. Tickets dated January 16 will be honoured. The performance will also be live streamed, with the recording available to view on-demand online until April 26.
Photos (clockwise from top left) Brenna Hardy-Kavanagh (photo by Bo Huang), Mireille Asselin (photo by Kristin Hoebermann) and Frédéric Lacroix (photo by William Meekins)
Mireille Asselin – soprano
Frédéric Lacroix – piano
Brenna Hardy-Kavanagh – violin and viola
About the Performers
Mireille Asselin
A singer deemed “a treasure” by the Toronto Star, soprano Mireille Asselin enjoys a diverse, international career spanning concert, opera and recital work. To date, Mireille has sung five seasons at the Metropolitan Opera, where she debuted as Poussette in Manon. She then made waves by jumping in as Adele for opening night of Die Fledermaus under the baton of James Levine, giving a performance that critics raved “stole the show”, hailing it as one of New York’s “most enchanting” of the season.
Recently, Mireille has sung with Vancouver Opera (Amore in Orfeo ed Euridice), at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris and with Garsington Opera in the UK (Zerlina in Don Giovanni) as well as with the Orchestre de chambre de Paris (Mozart’s Requiem). Since the pandemic shuttered stages worldwide, she has also appeared on several filmed releases by Opera Atelier, Soundstreams and Tapestry Opera among others. Mireille is a respected interpreter of early music and performs regularly with leading period ensembles in North America and Europe. She is also a champion of new works and throughout her career has premiered and workshopped lots of exciting new material for voice. She has even delved into the field of opera for Virtual Reality (Re:Opera’s Orpheus Project).
As a recitalist, Mireille made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2011 and is a core member of the Mirror Visions Ensemble, a vocal collective which tours innovative programmes across the globe. She is a graduate of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, Yale University, and the Royal Conservatory of Music,
Internationally acclaimed soprano and new Almonte resident Mireille Asselin, her long-time collaborator, pianist Frédéric Lacroix and special guest Brenna Hardy-Kavanagh at the violin and viola perform a special concert of remembrance and celebration through song. Dedicated to the memory of Michael Macpherson, a beloved community member and ardent supporter of Almonte in Concert, the concert features works by Handel, Massenet, and Cecilia Livingston, as well as new arrangements of classic folk favourites and the world premiere of a work by eminent Canadian composer and conductor Mark Sirett, and has recorded for the Marquis Classics, Centrediscs, and CORO labels.
Mireille, her husband Chris, and their dog Teddy are new residents of Almonte – and love calling Mississippi Mills home.
Frédéric Lacroix
Frédéric Lacroix has performed in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Asia as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative pianist. He has made regular radio appearances on the CBC and SRC, and on the American NPR. Following the University of Ottawa’s purchase of a fortepiano in 1997, Frédéric has devoted part of his time to the study and performance of music on period keyboard instruments, for which he was recognized as the Westfield Center Performing Scholar for the 2008-09. He has recently performed Mozart piano concertos on the fortepiano with the Albany Symphony Orchestra, the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra, and the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra.
Intrigued by the seemingly infinite diversity of new music, Frédéric has enjoyed collaborating with composers and performers in the premiere of a number of Canadian and American works. Frédéric is also active as a composer, having composed for the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, the Society of American Music, the Canadian University Music Society, the Choeur Classique de l’Outaouais and other noted Canadian musicians. His song cycle, Nova Scotia Tartan (2004), is featured on Hail, a disc dedicated to Canadian Art Song.
Much in demand as collaborative artist, teacher, adjudicator and composer, he currently teaches at the University of Ottawa. He is equally busy in the summer, having participated in a number of music festivals, in the Ottawa region, throughout Canada, and in the United States. He holds degrees from the Université de Montréal, the University of Ottawa, and Cornell University, where he recently completed his Doctorate degree in keyboard performance practice with the influential Malcolm Bilson. His other teachers include Marc Durand, Cynthia Floyd, Andrew Tunis, Jean-Paul Sévilla and Monique Collet-Samyn.
Brenna Hardy-Kavanagh
Violinist, violist and entrepreneur, Brenna Hardy-Kavanagh’s passion for chamber music has taken her all over the world, with performances across Canada, the United States, Brazil, Ireland, England, Wales, Germany, Italy, Armenia, Poland, and Romania. Assistant Principal Viola of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony since 2019, she is also a founding member of Integral Ensemble, along with Japanese-Canadian pianist Dr. Lisa Tahara. Brenna joined Against the Grain Theatre, an acclaimed Canadian opera collective, as orchestra consultant and performer in 2017. She was awarded a Dora Mavor Moore Award for her role in the company’s 2019 production of Kopernikus, a chamber opera by Quebec composer Claude Vivier. Brenna has performed with such groups as the Art of Time Ensemble, Soulpepper, Soundstreams, Tapestry Opera, Pocket Concerts, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and is the owner of Ottawa music agency Cadenza Strings. Brenna plays a 2005 viola by John Newton and a 2002 violin by Guy Harrison.
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Montréal Guitare Trio
Photo by Annie Doyle
Usher in the festive season with the “hottest” guitar ensemble in Canada. For more than 20 years, Marc Morin, Glenn Lévesque, and Sébastien Dufour have performed hundreds of concerts in many of the most prestigious venues in North America, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. With their unique, ingenious, and unbeatable touch, these three highly accomplished guitarists bring us some of the best music Christmas has to offer: The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky), The Nightmare Before Christmas (Danny Elfman), A Charlie Brown Christmas (Vince Guaraldi), and other holiday favourites!
Programme Notes
ABOUT THE MONTRÉAL GUITARE TRIO (MG3)
Described by the CBC as the “hottest” guitar ensemble in Canada, MG3 has quickly established itself as a force to be reckoned with, as well as an interactive force in various musical forms. For over 20 years, the trio’s virtuosity, rigour, creativity and impressive stage presence – where humour and interacting with the public go hand in hand – have been winning over audiences around the world and have led them to noteworthy collaborations, in particular with the California Guitar Trio (GCT). Composed of guitarists Marc Morin, Glenn Lévesque and Sébastien Dufour, the trio has given hundreds of concerts in some of the most prestigious venues across North America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
Winner of the 2011 Opus Award for “Concert of the Year” in the Jazz & World Music category, MG3 has released eight albums, including Der Prinz on the Analekta label, which earned them a nomination at the ADISQ 2014 for the “Instrumental Album of the Year.” In January 2017, the trio launched Danzas at the Théâtre Outremont in Montreal. This 7th recording, nominated “Album of the Year” at the ADISQ 2017, pays tribute to the great composers of Spanish music, including Paco de Lucia and Manuel de Falla.
In May 2019, MG3 and CGT launched their 2nd opus, In a Landscape, at One World Theater in Austin, Texas. This album crowned ten years of musical collaboration between the two trios.
MG3 is currently preparing its new show MG3 plays Maestro Morricone, a vibrant tribute to this legendary Italian composer.
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Ladom Ensemble – Programme now available.
photo by Bo Huang
ABOUT LADOM ENSEMBLE
Pouya Hamidi, piano Beth Silver, cello
Michael Bridge, accordion Graham Hargrove*, percussion
(*Mr. Hargrove is the alternate for Adam Campbell who could not be with us for this performance)
Creating a new musical identity, Ladom Ensemble draws from Balkan, Persian, South American, Turkish and European influences and blends it all in a unique instrumentation that is passionate, sophisticated, and wild. Their original repertoire and arrangements have hints of folksongs, classical, Latin, and a little progressive rock. Ladom doesn’t pretend to represent any specific tradition, but rather expresses an authentic artistic fusion. Ladom Ensemble reflects the beautiful new Western world! Their program consists of new sounds infused into classics like Prokofiev’s Dance of the Knights, Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5, Chopin’s Tristesse and Canadian East Coast’s folksongs to Argentinian Tangos. As CBC Radio’s Errol Nazareth describes them “Elegant and contemplative…they are rocking and fiery!”
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We are thrilled to conclude our season with Canada’s Ladom Ensemble, whose performance in April 2020 had to be postponed. The music of this unconventional quartet made up of Pouya Hamidi (piano), Michael Bridge (accordion), Beth Silver (cello), and Adam Campbell (percussion) includes original compositions, adaptations of world music from Iran, the Balkans, Argentina, and elsewhere, and their own twist on well-known classical masterworks. A fresh, astonishing concert, bound to delight!
]]>Perhaps you have already hauled the dusty canoe, or the rowboat or the kayak or the sailboat, out of it’s winter resting place and launched it onto a glistening lake or river. Perhaps you have been lucky enough to have travelled the ancient canals of Venice by gondola in a past life. If so, you might feel that ‘life is good’ with an oar, rudder or paddle in hand and the wind at your back, basking in the sun … or the moon. Whatever your past nautical experience, Giacchino Rossini’s I Gondolieri can still sing to the sailor in you.
“Sail on, under a fast sky, beautiful is the resplendent sky. The moon is without a veil, without tempest the sea. To row, to rest upon the expanse of water, to the gondolier is given among good things the best. Sail on. No matter if the sun is brilliant, or sad appears the moon; always on the lagoon the gondolier is king.”